Team Aspire

ABOUT THE TEAM:

East Hartford High School celebrates the diversity of all of its students. In order to support our English Learners (ELs), there are numerous classes and supports for the development of academic content knowledge and English Language acquisition. The Sheltered EL team, Team Aspire, is a structured, organized support for New Arrival ELs with low levels of English Language Proficiency. While on the team, ELs are provided the same content curriculum as their native speaking peers but instruction is at their level of English Language Proficiency—this supports a student’s acquisition of English as well as content knowledge. In addition, students on Team Aspire have specific ESL classes dedicated to reading, writing and grammar. This year on Team Aspire, we have students from sixteen countries representing four different continents. As a team, we love to celebrate success, we believe experiences-- like service learning and field trips--are an important part of learning, and we take risks and try new things while supporting one another. We are looking forward to making this year our best year yet!

Ms. Comarotti attended the University of Connecticut--Go Huskies--after graduating from East Hartford High School! While at UCONN, she studied a wide variety of sciences and worked as a research assistant in a research lab that focused neuropsychological disorders. Ms. Comarotti didn't stay away from EHHS for very long! She returned as a tutor while earning her Master's Degree in Secondary Science Education. Ms. Comarotti is currently the science teacher on Team Aspire--the sheltered EL team. Aside from working hard to help her students find the science in everyday life, she enjoys traveling and trying new, thrilling things.

Ms Merrill loves traveling and learning about other cultures. She speaks French and Spanish and was the French teacher for four years here at EHHS before moving to Team Aspire to teach ESL. She studied French at CCSU and has learned Spanish from her ESL students. She also loves sports and being outside and you can usually find her reading, playing outside, or hiking with her dog and her wife on the weekends!

Ms. Garcia is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao where she earned a Bachelor's degree in English education. She has spent the last ten years teaching ESL at the high school level. She joined Team Aspire at East Hartford High School in 2015. On her free time, Ms. Garcia loves to spend time with her husband and three children, cook, watch suspense movies, and traveling.

Mrs. VanSkiver attended SUNY Geneseo in New York for her Bachelor's degree in history and completed her Master's degree at Eastern Connecticut State University. She started teaching history at EHHS in 2004. Mrs. VanSkiver has been teaching on Team Aspire since it began. She loves spending time with her husband and two boys. She also loves making history fun and interesting for her students.

Mrs. Sheatsley attended UConn, receiving her Bachelor's degree in English in 1997 and Master's degree in Education in 1998. She started teaching right out of college, and has been a part of the Hornet community at EHHS since 2001. Mrs. Sheatsley has been teaching on Team Aspire (the ESL team) since its inception in 2012. She loves reading, dancing, spending time with her husband and daughters, and rooting for the New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack hockey teams.

Mrs. Kroeber attended Central Connecticut State University where she majored in Secondary Education Mathematics. She taught at New Britain High School before she began her employment in East Hartford in 2013. She has taught on the sheltered ESL team at East Hartford High School for four years and is currently working towards her Master's degree in TESOL. She enjoys spending time outdoors, playing with her two children and riding her motorcycle.

Joanie Landrum loves teaching kids and raising kids. She's the proud mom of three almost-adult children. She teaches English Language Learners because she has been a lifelong student of French and Spanish as her 2nd and 3rd languages. Joanie knows the challenge, but also the sense of pride, accomplishment, and personal growth that goes with language learning!